Conscious Decision
by hp4freek
Summary: Andromeda just wanted a walk in the sunny afternoon, one of her last at Hogwarts before the summer after her third year. Her annoying little sister insists on coming along, but that's only the start of her problems.


"Fine, come on if you're coming," she called absently behind her, resigned to her fate of an annoying little sister. Had she been like this two years ago? Surely not.

When she turned back, she was greeted by a Ravenclaw boy, at least two years older, mouth open as if he were about to speak to her. A confused look spread across his features and he closed his mouth, turning slightly to walk around her as she stood there waiting for Narcissa to trudge up the stairs from the lower levels of the castle. Apparently, she had been once again mistaken for Bellatrix for a moment. It hadn't happened much when they were younger, but here in the castle, when you didn't necessarily see the same people all the time, particularly if you were in different houses, she was getting more and more frustrated with almost conversations.

Looking after the boy, she immediately turned and started back for the large front doors the moment she saw the blonde head of her sister. _How did two people have three girls, all with different color hair? _she wondered, not for the first time.

"Dromeda!" her sister called in a whiny voice, one that assured punishment from their mother if she didn't give Narcissa whatever it was she was after, and soon. "I can't keep up when you walk so fast."

"I waited for you in the Entrance Hall," she hissed back, not bothering to turn around this time.

The warm air from outside was waiting for her; she could feel it. It graced her face first, warming her skin and putting the barest of smiles on her lips. She might be a Slytherin and a Black, but she was very much an outdoors person, as evidenced every summer when she came back to the castle with an extraordinary tan and sun lightened hair.

Her feet were sure as they left the path to the front gate and started on the grass. Her sister had just caught up with her, blonde hair bouncing, still in her school robes, Slytherin crest and all. Andromeda had opted for a more casual afternoon ensemble. Still wizarding, of course, in robes, but nothing that suggested her house or year. It was a small freedom.

"Why did you want to come out here anyway?" she heard the younger girl's unmistakably childish voice beside her. "You know Aila Ruskin sneaked in some fire whiskey we were all going to try."

Andromeda rolled her eyes. "You don't want to try that anyway," she told her, skipping the lecture on how first years were really too young for that anyway. She neglected to say that she hadn't tried it yet either, and when Narcissa didn't respond, she knew she'd been right, that Narcissa had no true interest in trying the strong whiskey. "Besides, no one invited you to come with me." It was obvious Narcissa was used to this kind of treatment by her lack of reaction at all; she just continued on her way beside her older sister.

There were plenty of kids outside already, enjoying the weather in various ways. Some of the older students who weren't currently in an O.W.L. or N.E.W.T. exam had brought their books out to study in the bright sunshine or beneath the shade of one of the many trees. Some first years were even playing with a Fanged Frisbee. Oh how Andromeda wished her sister would join them, but judging from the insignia on their chests, Narcissa would rather be eaten by their Frisbee. That was Slytherin pride for you.

The scattered party continued down to the lake, Andromeda's destination. Her favorite path was a long, slightly windy one that wound around the lake itself, dipping into the trees sometimes, and going near the entrance gates to the grounds. There were usually a few people who liked to lounge by the lake on the sides nearest the castle, but hardly anyone would venture all the way around, another reason it was her favorite.

The air was just warm enough that you didn't need a cloak, especially if you were planning to stay out for any length of time. The sun was so warm on Andromeda's cheeks that she felt as if she were flushing from embarrassment.

While her feet were sure on the familiar path, though, Narcissa was having a hard time, tripping and slowing down. There was a reason Andromeda had never before even let her come with her at all. When they were just past the first layer of trees and coming up on the gates that led to Hogsmeade, Narcissa took a fall on a particularly gnarled tree root. Sighing, Andromeda helped her up, making sure her robes weren't torn and nothing was broken or scratched.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Fine." It was clipped and the younger girl marched ahead, stomping her feet as if she had snow on her boots.

Up ahead, Andromeda could see a group of boys laughing and joking with one another. She didn't recognize any of them, which only ruled out Slytherins and anyone in her year. It was a big castle, and she kept mostly to herself.

"Oho!" one of them exclaimed, catching sight of the two girls still forging ahead. It looked for a second as if Narcissa was going to try and turn around, but catching sight of her older sister's determined look, she continued on. Her steps slowed, though, until she was tucked neatly behind Andromeda again.

"Oho yourself!" called Andromeda to the same boy, noticing how they'd all turned to have a look at the newcomers. There were only about five or six of them, all older than her, maybe about the same age as Bellatrix.

She came to a stop about twenty feet from them, feeling her sister run into her back before realizing they were stopping. In turning to see who was coming up on them, the boys were inadvertently blocking the path that led further around the lake. It wouldn't be hard to bypass them, but that would put the girls further in the foliage, further away from the eyes and ears of the rest of the school.

"We don't want trouble! Right, Dromeda?" Narcissa chimed in, her head the only visible thing on her big sister's side. The boys all laughed, several of them pointing openly.

"Hush, Cissy," Andromeda told her.

The boys didn't look particularly menacing, but they also weren't going on about their business, whatever that may be. Instead, they'd all squared off, facing Andromeda and Narcissa.

"Is there some stupid code that lets us pass you?" It was a general question, directed at no one in particular. But no one seemed to have an answer. They just stood unwavering in the girls' path as if they'd been carved there. Andromeda was guessing they were each thinking of a different taunt or otherwise hurtful thing to say or do to them.

One boy broke away from the pack, his face genuinely smiling, full of enjoyment. He didn't look malicious or resentful, though, so Andromeda was at a bit of a loss as to how to interpret his manner.

"Hi there," said the fair-haired boy. The insignia on his chest declared him of the badger house. She rolled her eyes.

"Are you or are you not going to let us pass?" she asked again. She again didn't really expect an answer, but the boy looked ready to give one, eyes brightening at the prospect. _Guess it's first come, first served,_ she thought, figuring whoever had a good idea first got the prize.

"Of course we will," he said, as if there wasn't a problem at all, "but only if you'll grant one small favor in return."

She huffed. It wasn't as if she didn't know how to negotiate, being a Slytherin and all, but honestly, why should she have to just to go around a group of unruly older boys? She contemplated just pulling out her wand and giving them a good hex, but dismissed the thought almost as quickly as it had formed. For starters, they were older, and thus knew and practiced more spells than she had. Second, she had Narcissa with her, and though the girl was good at getting her way through whining and conniving, waving her wand wasn't her forte. Andromeda couldn't protect both of them and fire on a relatively large group of boys at the same time.

Resigned, she asked, "And that would be?" in a deflated tone that she knew conveyed her unhappiness.

The grin that had slipped his face while she thought it over dawned iridescent on his face once more. "I thought you'd never ask," he said in a cheerful tone that directly contradicted her sullen one. "Walk with me." He stuck out his elbow and turned with an air of importance as if he actually expected her to loop her arm through and off they'd go, maybe skipping on their merry way. Narcissa was giggling, and Andromeda snorted.

"You've got to be kidding me," she mumbled. More loudly, she said, "And _why _would I do that?"

He looked taken aback. Did girls not usually reject him? His buddies were as bad as Narcissa with their giggling, though considering they were boys, maybe it was more like guffawing and chortling.

Finally, after what looked like a monumental effort of thought, he said, "Because I asked," as if that were reason enough.

She blinked.

"I think not," she told him, turning on her heel to march back the way they'd come.

"No, no, Dromeda," Narcissa said, putting her hand out to stop her. "Really, Mother would _love _if you started dating a _Hufflepuff." She couldn't contain the disdain at the thought, nor the laughter that followed._

"_Oh, that's right," chimed one of the other boys, making Andromeda turn back to them. "That's Bellatrix's little sister. She's a Slytherin." He said it like it was a dirty secret. "Guess she's too good for you, Teddy." He slapped his friend on the shoulder._

_Unable to stay upset, 'Teddy' was smiling again like he knew her secret, and it wasn't dirty._

"_That right?" he said, taking another step forward. "Then I have another goal." It was clearly an announcement meant for everyone._

"_Oh, do tell," said a boy in the back, one Andromeda vaguely recognized from the Ravenclaw table. Clearly, this was a game to them. It almost seemed rehearsed._

"_Well," continued Teddy, pausing and sweeping a glance over his captivated audience. Andromeda snuck a peek at Narcissa to see that she was among said captivated audience. "I think I'm going to get Miss Black here to date me."_

_Laughter erupted from the audience, including Narcissa. Andromeda elbowed her, but it only helped to subdue her a little._

"_Good luck with that," she said, her cheeks warming from actual embarrassment now, only making her mood worse. She turned to leave abruptly, her eyes hard as steel. Narcissa was still chuckling, her previous anger with them forgotten._

"_C'mon, Cissy," she snarled at her, grabbing the sleeve of her school robes and tugging her toward the castle. Her walk had been ruined and now she just wanted it over with._

"_What jerks," replied her sister when she'd found her footing and was walking on her own again. It was good to see her amusement gone as well._

"_Yeah," answered Andromeda, taking a second to glance back over her shoulder at the broad, handsome, outgoing boy who'd wanted to walk with her. "Jerks."_

_hr_

"_Dromeda," her husband called softly beside her, waking her in his gentle way. She'd been dreaming about the past again, something she thought she'd overcome years ago. She'd convinced herself that her husband, Ted, was all she needed. And he had been, still was. She didn't want to go back to the Black home, didn't want to be once again entangled in lies and deceit. So why had dreaming of walking with Narcissa again, carefree in Hogwarts, pulled so many heartstrings?_

_She looked down at her stomach, swollen and bulging beneath the heavy quilt that lay over her. Ted's hand lay atop it possessively, making her smile for the first time since she'd left her dream for reality. His thumb was rubbing back and forth in a soothing manner._

"_You okay, Drom?" he asked, breaking the soft silence again with his soothing voice._

_She thought for a moment before nodding gently. As he leaned over and kissed her softly, she realized he was the only one with any nicknames for her now, because he was the only family she had. Her baby girl kicked and she modified that thought to include her, her whole world. And that was just fine and dandy._


End file.
